Rating device for timepieces.



W. E. PORTER. RATING DEVICE FOR TIMEPIBGES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.25, 1905.

PATENTED OCT. 2, 1906.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED OCT. 2, 1906.

W. E. PORTER. RATING DEVICE FOR TIMEPIEOES APPLICATION TILED MAE-25,1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 882,389. PATENTED OUT. 2, 1906.

W. E. PORTER. RATING DEVICE FOR TIMEPIEGES.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR-25,1906.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Till IIQRRIS PETERS C0,, wnswmnmz, a. c.

No. 832,339. PATENTED OCT. 2, 1906.

W. E. PORTER. RATING DEVICE FOR TIMEPIBOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.25,1905.

4 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, wAsmrvo-mu, 0.1:

PATENTED OUT. 2, 1906.

.W. ;E. PORTER. RATING DEVICE FOR TIMEPIEGES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

ffyf/ IIIIII THE NoRms FETERS cs4, wmnrmrorv, B4 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILSON "Fame, oi NEW ervEN, CbNNEOTlCUT, ASSIGiIbE'To NEW 1 HAVEN-CLOCK COMPANY, on NEW.HAVEN, CONNECTIQUT,., noon- PORATION.

RATING DEVICE FOR TIMEPIECES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1 906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILSON E. PORTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improved Rating Device for Timepieces; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the figures of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this speciiication, and represent, in

Figure 1, a view in front elevation of one form which my improved device for rating timepieces may assume as it appears with a timepiece to be rated applied to it; Fig. 2, a corresponding view with the timepiece to be rated removed; Fig. 3, a plan view with the timepiece to be rated removed; Fig. 4, an enlarged broken view of the upper right-hand portion of the front frame-plate of the device with the dial of the standard timepiece removed without, however, removing the rated or the rating pointer; Fig. 5, a plan view thereof including the dial; Fig. 6, an en larged view of the. upper right-hand portion of the rear frame-plate of the device, showing ithe means employed for restoring the three pointers to their starting ,or zero positions,

, Fig. 7, ,a broken View in vertical section on the line a b Fig. 4, butlshowing the restoring-slide in elevation; Fig. 8, a view in front elevation of one of the modified forms which improved devicemay assume; Fig. 9, a plan view thereof; Fig. 10, a detached view :in front elevation of the rear frame-plate thereof, showing its restoring-slide; 11, a,broken plan view'of the left-hand end of the device, drawn on an enlarged scale and showing a timepiece applied tothe device in position for rating, the said timepiecehaving its running parts removed, except the single whee l, which is meshed. into by the wheel 33 of the rating device; Fig. 12 a detached view, in frontelevation on an enlargedscale,

, of the plate 32 of the timepieceholder, show- H ing also the locking-levenby'means of which the timepiece to berated is secured to the on the line a b of Fig. 12, showing the engagesaid plate; Fig. 13,3. broken sectional view mentof the spring-finger 48 of the lockinglever, withthe rear movement-plate of the.

. timepiece; Fig. '14', a sectional view-on the l the action of the standard timepiece.

line 0 d of Fig. 12, showing the engagement of the rear movement-plate of the timepiece with the locking-finger 45 of the locking-lever; Fig. 15, a detached view, drawn to natural size, of the plate of the timepiece-holder; Fig. 16, a sectional view thereof on the line 6 f of Fig. 15. I

My invention relates to an improved device for rating watches and clocks of the socalled marine type, the object being to produce a simple and convenient mechanism by which such timepieces may be quickly and accurately rated instead of rating them either by eye or ear, according to the common practice, whereby time and labor are saved and whereby rating may be done by a person relatively unskilled as compared with the skill of an expert timer who becomes adept only by long and extensive experience.

With these ends in View my invention consists in a rating device having certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, I mount a standard timepiece of any approved construction between a front frame-plate 2 and a corresponding back frame-plate 3, united by pillars 4, receiving screws 5. The said standardtimepiece may be of any approved construction, and therefore it is unnecessary to either illustrate or describe it in any detail. i As shown, it consists of a watch-movement having a front movement-plate 6 a back-movement-plate 7,pilla1s 8, and screws 9, passing through the said plates and entering the ends of the pillars. This timepiece is secured to the inner face of the front frame-plate 2 by means of three screws 10 Figs[ 1 and 2." herein shown, the movementof theffou'rth wheel 11, Fig.- 4, of the train of the timepiece ,is transmitted to a small wheel '12, mounted on an arbor 13, ournaled in the frame-plates 2 and 3' and also carrying, a relatively'large wheel 14, meshing into a pinion 15, mounted ona shaft 16, also journaled in the said frameplates. 2 and 3 and projecting at its forward end through the plate 2 and through a rated dial 17, secured by screws 18 to the'outer face thereof, and carrying a pointer 19, which sweeps over the said dial synchronously is pointer I shall hereafter speak of as the rated pointer for: the reason that it' indicates the action of the standard timepiece. For convenience, as well as for accuracy, the

' wheels and pinions employed to drive the said fourth wheel for the purpose.

rated pointer 19 by preference will be constructed and arranged so that the pointer will make a revolution of the dial once in a few seconds-say, once in'five or ten or fifteen seconds. Of course the wheels and'pinions might be arranged to make the pointer sweep the dial only once a minute; but obviously the more rapidly the rated pointer moves the more striking and easily observed the variations between the rate of the two timepieces, nor is it necessary that the movement of the standard timepiece be taken from the fourth wheel thereof, as shown, though probably it will be found most convenient to utilize the In order to permit the rated pointer 19 to be restored at will to its starting or zero position, in which I it registers with the twelve-hour mark on the dial 17, the said pinion 15 is loosely mounted on the shaft 16, with which it is frictionally coupled by means of a coiled spring 20, encircling the shaft and interposed between a fixed collar 21, mounted thereon, and the inner face of the said pinion, the rear face of which bears "against a corresponding fixed collar 22, also mounted on the shaft.

A heart-shaped restoring-cam 23, rigidly secured to the rear end of the shaft, provides for turning it in one direction or the other within the pinion 15 against the tension of the said spring 20 when it is desired to restore the pointer 19 to zero, as Will be described later on. The movement of the rated pointer 19 is compared by the timer with the movement of a ratingpointer 24, which accurately portrays," so to speak,'the action or beat of the timepiece to be rated. For convenience in distinguishing between the two pointers they are preferably differentiated from each other in design, length, and color, or in some manner, which will enable the timer to follow them with the least effort of his eye. As shown, the ratingpointer 24 is a trifle shorter than the rated pointer 19 and is located directly back of the same upon a socket 25, passing through the dial 17, loosely mounted upon the forward end of the shaft 16 and carrying a wheel 26, meshed into by a wheel 27, mounted upon the projecting forward end of a shaft 28, journaled in .the frame-plates 2 and 3 and carrying a pinion 29, meshing into a Wheel 30, mounted upon a shaft 31, journaled in the rear frame-plate 3, and extending forward through the front frameplate 2 and journaled at its forward end in the plate 32 of a timepiece-holder, which may be varied in form and details of construction. At its projecting forward end the shaft 31 carries a pinion 33, which is meshed into by a wheel of the timepiece to be rated, and so accurately transmits the rate of that timepiece to the ratingpointer 24, the movement of which with respect to the rated pointer 19, as the two pointers sweep over the face of the dial 17, will be more or less divergent, according to the timepiece to be rated is running at a rate more or less divergent from the standard timepiece. In order that the shaft 28 may be turned in one direction or the other for restoring the rating-pointer 24 to its starting or zero position, I provide it with two fixed collars 34 and 35 and locate a coiled spring 36 between the collar 35 and the pinion 29, the rear face of which bears against the collar 34, the tension of the spring 36 being such that normally the pinion 29 will be coupled with the shaft to accurately transmit the action of the timepiece to be rated to the rating-pointer 24. For the purpose of turning the shaft 28 in one direction or the other within the pinion 29 and against the tension of the spring 361 locate a heart-shaped restoring-cam 37 at the rear end of the shaft 28 and operate it simultaneously with the restoring-cam 23, as will be hereinafter described. The timepieceholder, of which the plate 32 before mentioned is a feature, will be constructed with the timepieces to be rated. The said plate 195 32 is secured to the front face of the front frameplate 2 by means of pillars 38, the ends of which receive screws 39. A narrow strip 40, conforming to the outline of the front movement-plate of the timepiece 41 to be no rated, is secured to' the edge of the plate 32 and forms, as it were, a very shallow socket for the reception of the said front movementplate, whereby the movement to be rated is not only held against edgewise displacement, 1 15 but has the fourth wheel 42 of its train located so as to be meshed into the pinion 3.3. Here I may add that it is not essential that the rate of the movement to be timed shall,

be taken from its fourth wheel, as it makes :20

no essential difference what wheel its rate is taken from. However, it will probably be the most convenient to transmit its rate to the rating-pointer 24 from its fourth wheel.

The timepiece 41 of course may be of any [25 constructlon, and detailed illustration and description of its parts is thought to be wholly unnecessary. For binding it upon the plate 32 I employ a locking-lever 43, having a sleeve 44, embracing and turning upon 1 0 so to speak, for rating watches, 5

6 Wheel 33 the lower pillar-of the three pillars 3 8. locking-lever is, .formedsne'ar its. inner end with a locking-finger 45, ,which 1 projects through an opening 46 in the plate 32 ,into position to be engaged with the front movement-plate of the timepiece 41 to be rated. Near its outer end the lever 43.5isformed with an operating-handle-47 and a long spring- Vfinger 48, also adapted to .be engaged with the said front-movement-plate. When the lever is pulled downwardto the limit, its fingers 45and 48 are retired into positions in which they clear the front plate of the movement 41, so as topermitthesame to be located within the centering-strip40, after which the lever is lifted by its handle 47 and .its fingers v45 and48 engaged withthe said plate, so as to firmly bind the movement in place.

In order that the timer may keep track of the time from the moment the rated and the rating. pointers are started together, I bylpreference employ a minute pointer 49,

arranged to sweep a small minute-circle 50,

corresponding in position.on3the dial 17 to shown, the minute-circle'50 isprovided with the numerals 1,2, 3, and 4 and is swept once the .minute-ciroleofan Ordinary watch. As

intfour {minutes by the minuteepointer. 49.

.Of coursethe minute-pointer may be made to complete a revolution once in one minute a or in any given number of minutes, as found most convenient; but the timer will rarely requiremore than fourminutes in which ,to

- observe. the differential performance of ,the

vmovement, being timed with respect to the performance of the standard timepiece. V y In ordinary'practice one minute will be su flicient to show to thetimer to'what extent thetimepiece being rated needs adjusting. .Thus in the device shown a variation of one second in two minuteswill appear to be a variation of siX minutes upon t e rated dial, resulting from speeding up the rated and rating pointters by appropriate gearing,,so as to magnify the actualspeed of the train of the ratingdevice and the actual speed of, the timepiece, to

7 be rated, whereby}thevariationbetween the 4 speed of theratingdevice and the timepiece to, be, rated iscorrespondingly magnified and:mad.e manifest to the eye of the .-timer. This example will be sufficient to 7 device is vthedifferential,running of the two timepieces. ,The-minutepoin-ter 49 is mount ed upon the projecting forward end. of a minute-shaft 51-, journaled inthe frameplates 2 and 3 and carrying a pinion 52, mesh'ng'into the third wheel 53 of therstandard timepiece, the pinion 52 being friction- .ally coupled with the shaft 51 bymeans of a, spring 54 and the pinionand spring beingin -terposed between two fixed collars- 55 and v 56 on the said shafts, To provide forvrestoring theminute-pointer; 49, to itsstarting orl a sbz r p i n, her ar-e id 0f hereli lft 5 is .by the furnished with a heart-shapedrestoring-cam isa efi; hra jr emam fiwhiqh th shaft 51 is turned oneway or theothjer'within the saidpinion 52 against the tensionf ofiits spring 54, as will be. mere-fully described I lateron. The. restoringcams 2 3 and 37 are simultaneously operated jupon: for respect i ly' est r g ie. ra p n 1 a l jt rating-pointer 24 to; their, starting "or I zero positionsby means of. a.vertically-moyable restoring-slide 58, having afinger tortoaction with the cam 23 and a finger 6Q 'forjc'olaction .with the, cam 37 and; formed'i with .slots 61 and62, receivingishoulderrivets363, by means 'of which thejslide is 'movably conheated with the inner face of the back frame plate 3. its upper e n d' 'the'slide is'furnished with a push-button 64, bymeans of which it is manually operated. I At its lower end with the saidarin 67, normally the. said bellk crank leverand slide maintams 58 in their retiredpositions, in which thebellcrank leveris swung from left to right and the slide-liftedf No matter what the 'po'si-" tions of the pointers, 19,l24," and 49 may be at, any given time, they will all be restored to ,their starting piositions, so as to startfloif together by pus ng down upon the push-button 64, whereby thecam .23 will .be'ferigaged finger 59, the cam 37by the fingerGO, and thecam 57 by the finger 69 and the cams brought into corresponding positions with their verticalaxesf 'in vertical "planes As these camsare rigidly Secured, respectively,

to'th e rear ends of the shaft 16, the shaft 28,

and the minute-shafti51', thesaine will be turned one way for the other within therespective pinions 15,29, 'a ndl'52 againstthe tension'of the respective sfp'r'ings'"2'0,:36, and 54 whereby the vwheels into which the said pinions are meshed are not disturbed.

"In using my improved device to time a ,watch the same applied to it as described and the, two pointers started oif 'unison Their divergence from each other, be 'it great 4 or small, as they rapidly sweep overthe rated dial-17;will show almost iristfa ntaneously to the timer just whateadjustmentg; oflthe hair -spring of the watch being timed is" required tomake it perform so nearlyin 'u'riifson wit h the performance of the stan dar'd timepiece that it will be 'safe tofrely for it's'fiml regula'tion upon its. own special regulator 71 ,7

or equivalent device, Whenthewatchisbeingv timed, its regulator is] preferably set midy ora ut m w y f i s We i te'mr sitions.

- In he, mod fiede m vdim ?shew over separate dials 72 and 73, placed side by side and secured to the upper portion of a front frame-plate 74, secured by pillars 75 its starting position.

and driven by a standard timepiece.

shown.) At its rear end the arbor 78 is furand screws 76 to a corresponding back frameplate 77. The rated pointer 19 is mounted upon the projecting forward end of an arbor 78, j ournaled in the plates 74 and 77 and car-.

rying a wheel 79, frictionally coupled with it by a spring 80 and meshing into a wheel of (Not nished with a restoring-cam 81 for restoring the pointer 19 to its starting position.- The rating-pointer 24 is mounted upon the projecting forward end of an arbor 82, journaled in the plates 74 and 77 and carrying a wheel 83, frictionally coupled to it by a spring 84 and meshing into a wheel 85, carried by an arbor 86 and in turn meshing into a wheel 87, carried by an arbor 88, which projects forward through the front plate 74 and has bearing at its forward end in a plate 89, provided for supporting the timepiece to be rated, the projecting forward end of the shaft'88 being furnished with a wheel 90, meshing into and driven by a wheel or pinion of the timepiece to be timed and corresponding to the wheel 33 of the construction previously'described. The shaft 82 is provided at its rear end with a heart-shaped restoring-cam 91, by means of which it is turned in either direction within the wheel 83 for restoring the pointer 24 to Light springs 92 and 93, secured by posts 94 to the inner face of the frame-plate 74, respectively engage with the arbors 78 and 82 and steady the operation of the pointers 19 and 24, though this is not necessary, especially if the teeth of the several wheels are properly out. For simultaneously restoring the pointers 19 and 24 to their starting positions I employ a slide 95,

,. furnished at its upper end with a push-button 96 and having slots 97, receiving shoulder-rivets 98, by means of which the slide is attached to the inner face of the frame-plate 7 7. The said slide is formed with two arms 99, respectively arranged to simultaneously attached to a pin 101 in the lower end of the slide. This spring normally holds the arms 99 99 clear of the cams-81 and 91. The plate 89, which corresponds to the plate 32 before described, is secured to the frame-plate 74 by means of pillars 102 and screws 103 and furnished with two pins 104 105, arranged to enter holes in the front plate of the movement to be rated, whereby the same is held against edgewise movement on the plate 89, to which it is clamped by a locking-lever hung on a stud 106, and comprising a clamping-arm 107 and an operating-handle 108 but the particular means employed for supporting the timepiece to be rated in position for the transmission of the action of its train to the rating-pointer 24* may obviously be widely varied. The mode of using the device just now described is just the same as the mode of using the device first described, the only difference between the two devices being that the rated and rating pointers sweep over separate dials.

In view of the modification described and of others which may obviously be made I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the construction herein set forth, but hold myself at liberty to make such departures therefrom as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

It will be observed that both of the mechanisms shown and described are complete in themselves or self-contained and that both are non-electric in their character. In using either mechanism the running of the timepiece to be rated too slow or too fast is magnified and'displayed, as it were, before the eye of the timer, who must then use his judgment in manually adjusting the timepiece to be ratedas, for instance, by shortening or lengthening its hair-spring in order to correct its speed. After so adjusting the timepiece to be rated the two timepieces are manually synchronized preparatory to another trial, which shows the effect of the adjustment, and so on.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rating device for time ieces, the combination with a frame adapte to temporarily receive and position the timepiece to be rated, of a standard timepiece mounted in the said frame, a rated pointer driven by the said standard timepiece, a rating-pointer arranged to have its movement visually compared with that of therated pointer, and means carried by the said frame for mechanically transmitting to the rating-pointer the action of the timepiece to berated when the same is positioned with respect to the said frame.

2. In a rating device for timepieces, the

combination with a frame adapted to tempo-- of the timepiece positione d with respect tothe said frame, and manual means for simultaneously restor ing the said rated and rating pointers to their starting or zero positions.

3. In a rating device for timepieces, the combination with a frame, of a standard timepiece mounted in the said frame, a rated pointer driven by the said standard timepiece, a rating-pointer arranged to have-its movement visually compared with that of the rated pointer, a timepiece-holder applied to the said frame for temporarily receiving and positioning the timepiece to be rated, and means carried by the said frame for mechanically transmitting to the rating-pointer the beat of the timepiece to be rated when the same is positioned in the said holder.

4. In a rating device for timepieces, the combination with a frame adapted to temporarily receive and position the timepiece to be rated, of a standard timepiece mounted in the said frame, a rated pointer driven by the said standard timepiece, a rating-pointer, means carried by the said frame for mechanically transmitting to the rating-pointer the beat of the timepiece to be rated when the same is positioned with respect to the said frame, and manually-operated restoringcams for simultaneouslyrestoring the said rated andrating pointers to their starting or zero positions.

5. In a rating device for timepieces, the combination with a standard timepiece, of a rated pointer driven thereby, a dial over which the said pointer sweeps, a ratingpointer turning upon the same axis as the rated pointer and also sweeping over the said dial, and means for transmitting to the rating-pointer the beat of the timepiece to be rated.

6. In a rating device for timepieces, the combination with a standard timepiece, of a rated pointer driven thereby, a dial over which the saidpointer sweeps, a rating pointer turning upon the same axis as the rated pointer and also sweeping over the said dial, means for transmitting to the ratin pointer the beat of the timepiece to be rate and a minute-pointer for registering the revolutions of the rated and rating pointers over the dial.

7. In a ratin device for timepieces, the combination wifii a frame adapted to temporarily receive and position the timepiece to be rated, of a standard timepiece mounted in the said frame, a rated pointer driven by the said standard timepiece, a rating-pointer arranged to be compared in its action with the action of the rated pointer, and gearing carried by the said frame for mechanically transmitting the beat of the timepiece to be rated to the rating-pointer when the timeto be rated when the same is 8. In a rating device for combination with a frame, of a standard timepiece mounted therein, "a rated pointer driven thereby, a rating-pointer arranged to have its movement readily compared-with that of the rated pointer, means'for securing the timepiece to'be rated to the-said'frame,

and gearing for transmitting the beat'of the timepiece to be rated to the said'ratingpointer, the said means including an arbor projecting forward from the said frame and through the said means for supporting the timepiece to be rated.

9. In a rating device for timepieces, the combination with a frame, of a standard timepiece mounted therein, a rated pointer driven thereby, a rating-pointer arranged to be compared in its action with that of the rated pointer, a timepiece-holder applied to the said frame, a locking-lever coacting with the said holder for binding the timepiece to be rated thereto, an arbor projecting forward through the said holder and carrying a pinion arranged to engage with one of the wheels or pinions of the timepiece to be rated, and gearing connecting the said arbor with the ratingpointer.

10. In arating device for timepieces, the combination with a frame adapted to temporarily receive and position the timepiece to be rated, of a standard timepiece mounted in the said frame, a rated pointer driven by the said standard timepiece, a rating-pointer arranged to be visually compared in its action with that of the rated pointer, means carried by the said frame for mechanically transmitting to the rating-pointer the beat of the timepiece to be rated when the same is positionedwith respect to the said frame, and a restoring-slide connected with the said rated and rating pointers for manually restoring the same to their starting or zero positions.

11. In a rating device for timepieces, the combination with a frame adapted to temporarily receive and position the timepiece to be rated, of a standard timepiece, a rated pointer driven thereby, a rating-pointer, means for mechanically transmitting to the rating-pointer the beat of the timepiece to be rated, and manual means for synchronously restoring the said pointers to their starting positions, the pinions driving the said rate and rating pointers being frictionally coupled with their arbors which may be turned within them one way or the other for restoring the pointers to their starting positions.

12. In a rating device for timepieces, the combination with a frame having front and rear plates, of a standard timepiece located between the said plates, a dial secured to the said front plate, a rated pointer sweeping over the said dial and driven by the said standard timepiece, a rating pointer arpiece to be rated is positioned with respect to I ranged to be visually compared in its action the said frame.

l with that of the said rated pointer, a timetimepieces,

piece-holder secured to the said front framespecification in the presence of two subscribplate 1for temporarily fieceiirirlg ang posiiioning Witnesses. in t e timepiece to erate an mec anv i051 means carried by the said frame for WILSON PORTER 5 transmitting the beat of the timepiece thus Witnesses:

positioned to the said rating-pointer. CLARA L. WEED,'

In testimony whereof Ihave signed this GEORGE D. SEYMOUR. 

